NEW YORK (Commodity Online): Will Americans be able to buy the much-sought after, beautiful silver bullion coins during this Christmas-New Year season? It looks there will be a severe shortage of America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins that were to be launched officially early this week. The launch of the silver coins has been delayed thanks to the spiraling prices of the bullion coins in the market. The US government produces the America the Beautiful silver bullion coins. The large-format silver coins were to be the festive season’s most sought after bullion product. However, even though there is growing demand for the silver coins, they are not simply available in the market. Officials said Sunshine Minting in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and Gold Corp. in Perth, Australia supplied the planchets for the five-ounce bullion coin that the US Mint will produce on a special $2.2 million coining press made in Germany. The US Mint is scheduled to make 33,000 bullion coins for each of the five coins issued this year in honor of Grand Canyon National Park, Hot Springs National Park, Mount Hood National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Yosemite National Park. The Mint had originally announced it would produce 100,000 bullion coins for each design. Maximum minting levels for the 2011 and future bullion coins have not been determined. In 2010, the United States Mint began to issue 56 quarter-dollar coins featuring designs depicting national parks and other national sites as part of the United States Mint America the Beautiful Quarters Program. 2011 marks the second year of the program and features the next 5 quarters. The silver bullion coins this year are to be made available to authorized dealers who then resell the coins. The Mint will charge its distributors $9.75 per coin above the price of silver. US Mint this week decided to postpone the launch of the America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin thanks to the unprecedented high prices being charged in the market for the coin. According to US Mint spokesman Michael White, the agency is studying “reports of concerns by many consumers about the high prices and premiums being charged in the market for the newly released America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins." On Monday, the US Mint sent a memo to authorized purchasers that said: "Due to the limited availability of the 2010 American the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coin coins, public anticipation has been extremely strong. Since the press release was issued, the United States Mint has received numerous calls and inquiries from the public regarding being charged for these coins." The US Mint began operations in 1792. These days, the US Mint receives more than $1 billion in annual revenues. As a self-funded agency, the United States Mint turns revenues beyond its operating expenses over to the General Fund of the Treasury. The main mission of the US Mint is to produce an adequate volume of circulating coinage for the nation to conduct its trade and commerce. In recent history circulating coin production has varied between 11 billion and 20 billion coins annually. In addition to producing coins, the United States Mint has other responsibilities, including the following: • Distributing U.S. coins to the Federal Reserve banks and branches. • Maintaining physical custody and protection of the Nation's $100 billion of U.S. gold and silver assets. • Producing proof, uncirculated, and commemorative coins, and medals for sale to the general public. • Manufacturing and selling platinum, gold, and silver bullion coins. • Overseeing of production facilities in Denver, Philadelphia, San Francisco and West Point, as well as the U.S. Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky. The US Mint operates six facilities across the United States with each facility performing unique functions. Current facilities are located in: Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; West Point, NY; Fort Knox, KY; Denver, CO; and San Francisco, CA.

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